December 7 – 9, 2023 | UCLG ASPAC was invited to attend and share the view in the 2023 Global Mayors’ Forum and the 6th Guangzhou International Award on Urban Innovation. Co-organised by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government, UCLG, and the World Association of Major Metropolises (Metropolis), the event promoted governance innovation for cities worldwide, fostered mutual learning, supported common development among cities across the globe, and helped galvanise efforts from local governments worldwide to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Several members of UCLG ASPAC attended the Forum.
Secretary General Dr. Bernadia delivered a keynote speech on Fostering and Preserving Urban Cultural Features and Historical Heritage Toward Sustainable City Development at the sub-forum 5 on Urban Cultural Features and Historical Heritage. In her speech, she stated that urban culture is not just a collection of buildings, roads, and infrastructure. It is also a living and evolving expression of the people who inhabit the city, shaped by their social, economic, political, and environmental contexts. Urban culture includes various aspects, such as language, music, art, cuisine, fashion, religion, and more. Urban culture can also showcase the diversity and creativity of the city’s residents, as well as their struggles and opportunities.
She further explained that in the pursuit of progress, urban cultural features and historical heritage are often at risk. Rapid urbanisation, population growth, and modernisation place immense pressure on our cities, leading to the loss of cultural landmarks, traditional practices, and architectural treasures. If we neglect to safeguard these elements, we risk erasing our own identity and disconnecting us from our roots. In the effort to foster and preserve urban cultural features and historical heritage, UCLG ASPAC established Culture Committee, led by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, which focuses on promoting and strengthening the role of culture in sustainable development at the regional level. It works towards enhancing cultural cooperation, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering cultural diversity within Asia-Pacific cities and local governments. UCLG ASPAC also promotes the integration of culture into urban planning and development process as well as cultural literacy and heritage education through public space development.
In conclusion, Secretary General Dr. Bernadia underscored that fostering and preserving our urban cultural features and historical heritage is not an option; it is a responsibility we owe to ourselves and future generations.
Prior to the opening of the 2023 Global Mayors’ Forum, the award ceremony for the 6th Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award) was held at the Guangzhou Yuexiu International Congress Centre, announcing Bogotá, Colombia; Halandri, Greece; Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Kampala, Uganda; and Xianning, China, as winners of the 6th Guangzhou Award. Among them, Xianning, China, also claimed the honour of “City of Your Choice.” The other 10 cities were awarded the Medal Honor Cities, namely Antalya, Türkiye; Cape Town, South Africa; Iztapalapa, Mexico; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kazan, Russia; Mannheim, Germany; Pimpri Chinchwad, India; Ramallah, Palestine; São Paulo, Brazil; and Tehran, Iran.
The Guangzhou Award has been held six times every two years for the past eleven years, drawing 1,635 initiatives from 653 cities and regions in 101 countries. Numerous topics are addressed by these programmes, such as infrastructure and public services, urban planning and good governance, partnerships, technology, resilience, social inclusion, and gender equality. The Guangzhou Award has now evolved into an important public product that promotes exchanges and city-to-city learning in global urban governance innovation and it is a distinguished emblem for Guangzhou to showcase among global cities. The 6th Guangzhou Award received a wide range of responses from cities and regions around the world. A total of 274 initiatives were submitted by 193 cities and regions representing 54 countries and territories; the number of participating cities and initiatives both exceeded those of previous cycles.
UCLG ASPAC would like to congratulate the 6th Guangzhou Award winners and the recipients of the Medal Honor Cities. For further details on the Guangzhou Award, please CLICK HERE.
